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A survey conducted by Training magazine and The Ken Blanchard Companies found that 89 percent of those polled want to meet with their manager at least monthly, and 44 percent want to meet weekly. The majority of respondents are looking for either 30 or 60 minutes of one-on-one time with their manager on a regular…

More than 90 percent of major corporations have formal performance management systems in place. Yet recent research by Deloitte Consulting reported that only 8 percent of these organizations find their performance management process worth the time they put into it. Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity seems to fit here: “Doing the same thing over and over…

“Nothing is more effective than sincere, accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment.” ~Bill Walsh I frequently ask participants in my workshops: “How many of you are getting too much praise?” I generally get a chuckle but rarely a raised hand. Yet time and time again, employees report that sincere, meaningful…

I’ll say it right up front: I’m not a fan of the infamous practice of ranking employees and continuously turning over the bottom 10 percent. I think it is bad business. So when I speak about eliminating performance problems, I am not suggesting we get rid of employees. That should only be considered in rare…

What comes to mind when you hear the term performance management? For many managers and their staff, the term fills them with dread. A major reason for the negative reaction comes from the typical way performance management is implemented. Traditional performance management systems focus on evaluation. Managers set goals for direct reports at the beginning…

“Growth is not steady, forward, upward progression. It is instead a switchback trail; three steps forward, two back, one around the bushes, and a few simply standing, before another forward leap.” –Dorothy Corkville Briggs Becoming the person we want to be is a gradual process. We learn and grow line upon line. Here is a…

“It’s true that we take a great deal of our own upbringing on into our adult lives and our lives as parents; but it’s true, too, that we can change some of the things that we would like to change. It can be hard, but it can be done.” ~ Fred Rogers It is said…

What is one of the biggest time wasters leaders deal with on a regular basis? For many, it is the daily barrage of email. How much email do you send and receive each day? How much time is spent reading, writing, or responding to email? Here’s some practical advice for managing your email instead of letting it manage you.…

In Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership® II model, Leadership Style 1 is called the Directing style. This style includes a high level of directive behaviors to help build competence and a low level of supportive behaviors to maintain commitment. A number of years ago when I went through Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership® II workshop for the first time,…

Do you work in a matrix environment? Do you have several managers making requests of you, each with their own agenda and priorities? How do you effectively cope with more than one boss? Working in a matrix organization with multiple bosses can create major challenges: Work overload. A common refrain in workplaces around the globe…